Lasting Image: Kofi Opare's touching tribute to his fallen friend

Lasting Image: Kofi Opare's touching tribute to his fallen friend

CARSON, Calif. -- Sometimes sports takes a back seat to real life and on Wednesday, Kofi Opare paid tribute to his fallen friend Arif Merani after scoring his first career MLS goal in the LA Galaxy's 1-0 victory over the Montreal Impact.

Once Opare learned about Merani's death, he knew what he was going to honor his friend: score a goal.

“I said I was going to honor him by scoring. I said I was going to score and dedicate it to him,” said Opare of his high school friend from Niagara Falls, Ontario. “I told people I was going to score my first goal for him. I'm glad that all went to plan, I guess, and we got the three points.”